Mounting for automatic guns



Dec. 9, 1930. c, "A. LARSSON 4,

. MQUN TING FOR AUTOMATIC GUNS Filed Feb. 15, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet '1 Dec. 9, 1930. c, sso 1,784,016

MOUNTING FOR AUTOMATIC GUNS Filed Feb. 15. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet Patented Dec. 9, 1930 mean TE F HQ CARL ALFRED LARSSON', OF WESTMINSTER, LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO VICKEBS- ABMSTBONGS LIMITED, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, A BRITISH COMPANY MOUNTING F033.- A'UTOMATIC GUNS 7 Application filed February 15, 1929, Serial No.

This invention relates to mountings for automatic guns and has for its chief object to provide improved means whereby the mounting can be converted from one in which the gun fires at the usual low angles of elevation (herein termed ground firing) into one in which thegun canbe fired at high angles of elevation (herein termed anti-aircraft firing).

According to the invention the cradle or elevating arm on which the gun is mounted is constructed at its rear to receive a trunnion pin passing through the usual trunnion lug on the mechanism casing so that by adjusting the said cradle or elevating arm upon the crosshead of the mounting until it ap proaches the vertical, and retaining it in this position, the mounting is converted from the ground firing condition into the antiaircraft firing condition in which the gun can be conveniently sighted and fired by the gunner when sitting on the ground with his legs between'the rear legs of the mounting inthe case of a tripod mounting or in the case of a cone or pedestal mounting with his legs at each side of the mounting.

The cradle preferably comprises two side members rigidly connected together at a suitable distance apart and provided hetWeen them with an elevating gear which, when the mounting is to be converted from the ground firing condition into the antiaircraft firing condition, is disconnected from the mechanism casing of the gun and swung about its pivots into a housed position between the said side members where itis held by means of spring clips.

The ammunition box may be carried by a bracket adjustably mounted on the cradle so that when the mounting is converted into the anti-aircraft condition the said box can be caused to occupy a position such that the cartridge belt passes as straight as possible up to the feed box of the gun. For this purpose the said bracket may be rotatably mounted on a spigot projecting laterally from the cradle and this bracket may be held in the required position suitablefor ground firing or for anti-aircraft firing by a spring plunger carried by the bracke and 340,046, and in Great Britain March 22, 1928.

adapted to engage in one or other of two holes provided in part of the cradle.

In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, the same will be more fully described Figure 3 is aside elevation on a larger scale of part of the cradle (with one side member removed) showing how the elevatmg gear is held in the housed positlon when not in use,

Figure 4 is an end view showing the spring clips of Figure 8, and

Figure 5 is a plan on a larger scale of the ammunition box bracket and its associated parts.

A is the gun, B is the cradle or elevating arm to which the gun is trunnioned by means of a detachable trunnion pin A passing through a hole Z) (Figure 2) in the cradle and through the usual trunnion lug on the front part of the mechanism casing of the gun, and C is the usual crosshead in which the said cradle is trunnioned at B and which is mounted for training movements in a support D carried by the tripod legs 1).

In the construction shown the cradle B comprises two side members rigidly connected together with distance pieces between them and is held in any desired angular position for ground firing by means of a clamp C which is carried by the crosshead C and cooperates with arc-shaped part-s B of the side members of the cradle. The. usual screw elevating gear E is pivoted at E between the side members of the cradle and is connected by a detachable connecting pin E to the usual elevating lug A on the mechanism casing. The side members of the-cradle are extended rearwardly and slightly downwardly and the rear ends of the extensions are formed with coinciding holes B for the reception of the aforesaid trunnion pin A when the mountoo o shown 1nassoclatlonj Wltll a tripod; gun

ing is to be adjusted for anti-aircraft firing. To eil'ect this adjustment the gun is detached from'the cradle by removing the trunnion ;the trunnions li connecting it to the crosshead C until the cradle is nearlyVvert-ical as shown in Figure 2. 'The cradle may be held positively in this'position byimeans of a pin C? (Figure 2) passing through a hole C (Figure'l) in the frontpartlof the crosshe'ad .C and th-roughholesB (Figure l) in the front parts of the side members ofthe cradle; the latter'may also be held by tighteningtthe aforesaid clamp C The gun canthen beelevated freely about the trunnion pin A at the end of the cradle,the gunneroccupying a itting posture on "the ground between the rear legs of thetripod. The elevating gear E, which is not required for use in this condition-of the mounting, is swung about-its pivot E into a housed position between the side members of the cradle where it is retained by spring clips E'fi'E (Figures 3 and 4;) carried by the'sai'd side members. The said spring clips engage, resiliently with the boss of the elevating handwheel when the elevating gear is swung into the housed position as shown by'dotted lines in Figures 3 and ll F is the aforesaid bracket having recessed end vwalls F 1* (see Figure ,5) which slidably receive the ammunition box F shown by 'dotted lines in Figures 1 and 2. "This bracket is rotatably mounted on a spigot? projecting laterally from one of the side members of thecradle. B and is held in the required position suitable for ground firing or for anti-aircraft firing, by a spring plunger F carried by the said bracket and adapted to engage 1n one or 7 other of two holes 6 b formed in a plate 0- on the said side member.

; For ground firing the bracket F occupies a position such that the open end of the ammunitionbox F is mmediately beneath the feed box or the mechanism casing as is customary and as isshown in: Figure '1 whilst for anti-aircraft firing the'said bracket occupiesthe position shown-in Figure- 2 such thatthe ammunition box lies lengthwise of V the cradle B with'the open end uppermost, the ammunition belt thus being in afavoura- 'ble position for entering the feed-box.

Althouglr the i improvements have been mounting "they can equally well 'be employed aircraft firing condition,"theigunner sits on the gronnd or deck with his legs at each side idly connected together at a suitable distance apart and being provided ,atits r ear1 with 7 means to receive a trunnion passing through the usual trunnion lug on the 'mechanismjcasing of the gun so that by adjusting the said cradle or elevating arm upon the crosshead of themounting until it approaches the vertical and retaining it inthis position the mounting is, converted fromg'the ground firing conditioninto theanti-ain craft firingcondition a pivoted elevating gear-disposed between said side members this elevating gear'when'the mounting is to be converted from y the ground firing vcondition into the antiaircra'ft firing condition being disconnected fronrthe mechanism casing of the gun and swung aboutvits pivots into a housed positionibetween said sidemembers, and means for holding said" elevating gear in'the hous'ed position.

2.'An' automatic gun mounting compris mg 111; combination a cradleor .elevatlngarm on whlch' the gun 1s mounted;s'aidlcradl'e or elevating arm havingtwo side members rig-g idly connected together at a suitable dis tance apart and being provided at it'srear with means. to receive a trunnion pin passing through theiusual trunnion lug onthe mechanism casing of'the gun so that adf ustmg the sa dcradle or elevatlngarm upon the crosshead of themonnting i tiap-lv proaches'the vertical and-retaining iii-this position the mounting; is iconvertedf from the ground firing condition into ithe antiaircraft firing condition a pivoted elevating gear disposed between said side members this elevating gear when the' mountin g .to'be converted friomthe' ground firing" con dition into the antiaaircraft'firing condition being disconnected'from' the-mechanism casing 'ofthe gun and swung aboutitsv pivots into a housed positionzbetween said side file members, 'and spring clips for holding elevating gear infthe housed position.

, 8. An "automatic fgun mounting comprisinga'cradle or elevating armonfiwhich the" gun-is .mounted, meaiisat the rear of said cradle or elevatingarm *to recei've a trunnion pin passing thr'oughthe usual trunnion lug v on'themechanism casing ofithe gunsd by adjusting the said cradle, orv elevating 7 arm upon the cro'sshead "ofthe 'nmna a fill it approaches the-vertical and retain ng 5 it inthis positionitheflmounting-is convert? ed from the ground'firingCoiiditioirihtdtligi antiaircraft firingfcon dition', "and an ammutionfboix' brake-J us tably '{mounted cradle or elevating arm so that when the mounting is converted into the anti-aircraft condition said ammunition box can be caused to occupy a position such that the cartridge belt passes as straight as possible up to the feed box of the gun.

4. In an automatic gun mounting, the combination with the elements claimed in claim 1, of an ammunition box bracket adj ustably mounted on the cradle or elevating arm so that when the mounting is converted into the anti-aircraft condition said ammunition box can be caused to occupy a po sition such that the cartridge belt passes as straight as possible up to the feed box of the gun.

5. In an automatic gun mounting, the combination with the elements claimed in claim 2, of an ammunition box bracket adjustably mounted on the cradle or elevating arm so that when the mounting is converted into the anti-aircraft condition said ammunition box can be caused to occupy a position such that the cartridge belt passes as straight as possible up to the feed box of the gun.

6. An automatic gun mounting comprising a cradle or elevating arm on which the gun is mounted, means at the rear of said cradle or elevating arm to receive a trunnion pin passing through the usual trunnion lug on the mechanism casing of the gun so that by CARL ALFRED LARSSON.

adjusting the said cradle or elevating arm upon the crosshead of the mounting until it approaches the vertical and retaining it in this position the mounting is converted from the ground firing position into the anti-aircraft firing condition, an ammunition box bracket adjustably mounted on the cradle or elevating arm so that when the mounting is converted into the anti-aircraft condition said ammunition box can be caused to occupy a position such that the cartridge belt passes as straight as possible up to the feed box of the gun, a spigot projecting laterally from said cradle or elevating arm upon which spigot said bracket is rotatably mounted and a spring plunger carried by said bracket and adapted to engage in one or other of two holes in part of the cradle or elevating arm so as to hold said bracket in the required position suitable for ground firing or for anti-aircraft firing.

7. In an automatic gun mounting, the combination with the elements claimed in claim 1, of an ammunition box bracket, a spigot projecting laterally from the cradle or elevating arm upon which spigot said bracket is rotatably mounted, and a spring plunger carried by said bracket and adapted to engage in one or other of two holes in part of the cradle or elevating arm so as to hold said bracket in the required position suitable for ground firing or for anti-aircraft firing.

8. In an automatic gun mounting, the com- 

